Deep Night (2024)

I need a spin-off with KeJaSe ASAP!!

The series is available for free on Youtube, however, Youtube's version is cut (smut scenes are missing, even though you don't see more than their naked upper body, otherwise a few naughty sounds). An important scene from episode 7 is completely missing, which makes more sense for episode 8's conclusion. (You'll still understand ep8 without the scene, but it gives more character depth, and the scene is generally worth it.)

– Main couple: 
Nothing new, a bit shallow, and quite the stereotypical (sweet) couple you'll find in almost every BL series. 
The difference: communication skills. While they do have their jealous drama scenes and misunderstandings, it never stretched for more than one episode. They have a pretty quick character development when it came to the little (but important) things, and also show they've learned from that. 
As (Thai) BL series are known for having two men that absolutely cannot communicate other than with their body, this verbal change was quite refreshing. 
My personal issue was that each of their sweet scenes was always concluded with a kiss. Their kisses are good, yes, but not every emotional/sweet scene needs kissing, so after some time it felt a bit too forced. 
There was a hint in the first two episodes that they might be switches, but sadly never brought up later on again. I'd loved to have another switches couple, but it's at least safe to say that Wela is a switch. 
(Side note: They did low-key gave me YaiKorn vibes sometimes. But more as in, what YaiKorn wanted to be (at the end of their series, where they've been more sweet.) Maybe cause of the short/slight BDSM scene?)

– Everyone is gay/queer: 
We've all seen that trope at least once. If there's one BL couple, there's likely a second one, maybe a third and a fourth, and at the end it's like the whole cast is gay. Sometimes that will feel very unrealistic, however, as this is a night club setting with male hosts, it's not surprising and it works. 
I found it actually quite funny that they were very direct about it in the first episode already. There was only one character I was more or less surprised to find he's gay too, but it's also nothing new for his character role. 
The sexualities aren't actually said anywhere, so you can assume that some characters are bi or pan as well, especially considering that the club is a mixed one (where they serve every gender). Wela for example was seen serving both women and men, but as it never went past stroking and cheek kissing, you won't know for sure what his orientation is. (Not that it really mattered for me, but in case you prefer bi rep.)

– World-building: 
When so many characters are queer and openly queer as well, you'll wonder in what society they live in. And that was another fresh aspect. Queernormaticism. None of the characters were heteronormative, no one was queerphobic and no one batted an eye when seeing same-sex couples make out. There was only a bit of a slight drama with a lesbian couple, but overall very relaxing. 
None of the couples had a "oh shit I'm crushing on the same gender, wtf should I do about that"-moment. No one questioned their crush, no one had to "find themselves" and no one was afraid of telling it to people.  
These kinda settings are my favorite, and I'd give it a 10 just for that. 
Not only sexualities, but self expression was great too. Dai for example was slaying with their wardrobe, and there was one guy that Wela served who was slaying their make-up as well. No fear of femininity whatsoever. I think all of the main guys wore make-up at least once (especially lipstick) and it looks so good. Can the west please adapt this? 

– Side BL couple: 
One of the 2 BL side couples was very bold in the first episode, so i was a bit surprised they didn't continue with that maturity, until the last episode. But it was hinted at why they're distant, so that's fine. Great (the character (yes that's his name)) made for some good laughs. 
The actor of James (Nathan?) is really good. He made the scenes so natural. And mature. I'd love to see him in more BL Dramas.

– Throuple: 
My favorite BL pairing is the lovely polycule, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally see a BL polycule in a (Thai) TV Drama! 'Only Friends' kind of had a threesome but it was more of a "fooling around" (still loved it). Very happy to finally get the real thing. 
It was just way too short. They were hinted to be an item very early on, but the majority of time was focused on pining and the love triangle, until they finally realized: "why choose?" (And that's why you need to see the uncut version of episode 7.) 
Please please please give them their own series!! They had a few new ones in the special episode, but it was too few yet.  

– GL couple: 
Gotta love that lesbian couples are becoming more and more popular, especially in BL Dramas. 
'Only Friends' made a big breakthrough with their 2 lesbian couples, and I guess that served as an inspiration to not only have an old couple (characters in their 40s) but also give them kissing scenes. Whatever the inspiration was or not, I'm just glad to finally see real kisses between women, and not the awkward cheek smooches like in 'Big Dragon' for example. 
They were cute and badass as well. A power woman with a power woman by her side. I'm really glad they got their own series. 
In that regards, it was also nice to see women not being whiny characters only, but actually with personality and a non-annoying role. (Well, there was one woman that was very annoying and the antagonist of the non-romantic plotline, but that wasn't because of her gender.) Glad to see women being respected more and more in BL Dramas. It's been a long way. 

– Setting: 
I haven't seen a trapeze male dancer in a tv drama yet, so that was nice as well. The cinematography in those scenes were amazing and the actors got skills. 
The characters do also go to university, but there aren't many scenes there. (Luckily, because who isn't lowkey done with the school setting?)

– Overall: 
There were scenes that were a bit shallow and could've been better, but all in all quite refreshing. If this is where the BL industry is steering to, then yes please. And also please more polygamy.  

-02.09.24

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Sizzling Chemistry, Different premise,healthy relationship, supportive parents

Highlights of the series to make you watch it:

--- Top notch chemistry between the Main leads(kissing almost in every episode) ❣️ healthy communicative relationship keeping the essence of the honeymoon period in their relationship.
--- Captivating, attractive and most beautiful smile of the guy Khemtid layed by Shogun, will send daggers through your heart.
--- Quality aerial and acrobatics performances( I figured out that they really trained hard, without using any harness or body double) ... Deserves appreciation 🙏
--- Beautiful outfits of the cast. Special mention of P'Dai's museum display worthy outfits.. and hairstyles😍
--- Good relationship with respect between the employees of the club creating a better workplace environment.
--- Cute GL couple.
--- Madam Freya being the most attractive and bold women of the century. I have become a fangirl of her.
--- TROUPLE representation (although needed more depth and time for their story to develope)
--- Characters are actually cute 🥰. Not like the ones who try to act cute.
--- The ost is great..

Overall: Eventhough the story is based on the same Club premise, still is different.
An entertaining and worthy watch

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A very pleasant surprise

When I started watching this, I had no idea what this was about. I am also not familiar with any of the actors. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was. All of the actors did a great job and are all super cute. I loved the whole concept about a night club with “hosts” and the performances were great. Love love love the main couple and Wela’s duality. But the only reason I deducted a half point from my rating was because of how they handled the love triangle. No one in love would share. It was just a bunch of boys fooling around. But that’s okay. Hope they have a lot more projects.

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maybe if you're really bored?

I was so excited for this title because I love circus and acrobatics... but there is not nearly enough of that to keep me watching. With so little effort and budget put into the host club, it's really just the thinnest of gimmicks to differentiate a show without enough plot to stand on it's own. While the cast seems mostly competent and there's a decent (if slightly weird) sense of chemistry, this story doesn't really seem like it has any interest in exploring that. Instead, the plot just kind of moves around perfunctorily without any real sense of character or motives.

I'll admit, I'm not really interested in giving this show second or third chances. The show started out with blatant plagiarism of the kpop group OnlyOneOf in episode one--which the production team later admitted to and apologized for--and it's soured the experience for me. Combined with the way this appears to be one of the shows where Cheewin's got no strong sense of direction or vision? I'll pass. There's plenty of other shows to keep me busy. But maybe if you're just looking for background noise?

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normalising sex work?

After watching the first 4 episodes the acting is good etc however I cannot deal with the story. The main lead is not accepting the his bf is basically doing a form of sex work aka using his body to get paid with love bites, touching etc. This just does not seem appealing and also seems to be trying to normalise this kind of sex work/ host bars that can be very problematic for the host. Wela comes from a good background and does not need to do this work. His bf is also rich so why does he keep doing it. Why cant he get into just performing at the club instead of doing the host work. I'm just not enjoying this type of content.

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A Fresh and Captivating BL Drama Worth Watching

"Deep Night: The Series" Episode 2, starring First Piyangkull as Wela and Shogunnn as Khemthis, is a refreshing entry in the BL genre, exploring unique themes with depth and sophistication. The characters break free from clichés, offering complexity and relatability, especially Wela, who captivates with his multifaceted charm. The acting from both leads is commendable, adding authenticity to the narrative. This series stands out for its innovative storytelling and engaging character dynamics, making it a must-watch for fans looking for something beyond the usual BL fare. Highly recommended for its fresh approach and quality execution. Give it the love it deserves!

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Host Club BL done right, unlike Time the series

Well, time the series did have a half-baked time travel element to it while this show doesn't, but im mostly talking about the shared similarity of both shows settings being a host club.

I'd say my biggest gripe with this show was the rushed ending for the side trio. The three characters could have been a lot more developed and would have been really nice to see how the three thrived in the poly relationship. But all we got was a 30 second or so sexualized scene of the three making out and one rushed conversation. That being said, I am grateful for the trio all getting their happy endings with each other. A bold move I genuinely didn't expect them to go with.

Besides that I overall enjoyed this BL. Aside from Time, this is the only BL I've scene which is set in a host club. Which probably goes without saying but really helps with the aesthetics of this show. Deep Night takes this very specific vibe and rubs with it throughout the entire series. With the lighting, set dressing, costuming, it was just really nice to look at is what I'm saying. The actors also all really portrayed their parts well, the only issue being that some of the R18+ felt a little awkward to me. Specifically the hand job and dream sequence scenes near the end. Felt very tacked on just for the sake of having something sexual thrown in when it wasn't necessary at all.

Deep Night is more of a matter over substance BL in general, since it's messaging and story doesn't really bring anything that new to the table. And when it does its near the end or gets very little attention put towards it, like with Ken, Japan, and Seiji. Not to mention Freyja and her girlfriend, whose entire arc got established and solved within two scenes.

So if you're looking for a BL with strong vibes and an appealing cast. By all means, enjoy your visit at Deep Night. I sure did.

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A beautiful silver lining in the Deep Night

Again, a low ranking series surprised me being an amazing masterpiece and giving me more smiles and good memories than some with higher ratings that happened to become famous for some reason.

Something about this series was how realistic that love was for me. As a person who’s used to SEE love all around (in my family, my friends, TV…), I really appreciate that love wasn’t something they should hide because of shyness nor fear. Even if a lot of people gave it a low rating (which I cannot understand), in my opinion, the story was so well written and it all made sense. The storyline was original, which isn’t something usual nowadays.

On this review I will not be talking about the Special Episode since it is (SPOILER) just a compilation of some scenes from the series that they made a bit longer and added a few short scenes. Still, it was good (END OF SPOILER). Now let’s start with the series.

The way everything evolves from a rich kid who doesn’t really care about his mom’s work dream, to the amazing person he is at the end, is really inspiring and beautiful. I loved that almost “love at first sight” Khem had with Wela, yet how it went from something more like interesting to LOVE in capital letters. I enjoyed so much watching how they fall for each other, how they deal with Wela’s work, how the family matters are importante to them, how they try to understand each other and help not only the two of them but also their friends and family. I loved how amazing the relationships were with the rest of the employees and the love Khem is able to show to his mom once he felt it and is envolved with it. I love the understanding between everyone so much… God, it is really not easy to find something like this.

About the main couple, I will say that they are one of my favourite couples so far. Not just the amount of kisses we had (THANK YOU GOD FOR THE BLESSING) but the way you can see their love, how you can see how important they are for each other, always taking care of the other and always making sure they are happy. One thing I loved so freaking much is the moment when Wela is crying about his mom rejecting him from doing that job, and Khem coming to comfort him and also crying while hugging him. Oh lord, that was insanely beautiful, because you can see how painful it is for Khem to see Wela hurt and sad. Also, one of my favourite moments (and I make clear that it is just ONE of my favourite moments, because there are so many) is the performance of them two at the end, when Wela fell and Khem helped him not to mess the moment Wela’s mom came to see. Them in white and so in love.

Now, about the secondary couples (and I say it in plural because I could say that there are three secondary couples):

It was so surprising for me the Khem’s mom’s couple, because it’s not usual for BL series to have the parents new partner as part of the story, more even being two women.

The trio was awesome. I really didn’t expect them to be together the three of them and I can imagine how difficult it must be to create a quality relationship between three people making sense in their decision. At the beginning, it was so interesting, Pan and Seiji flirting and kissing by accident, and then you see Pan falling for Seiji, Seiji responding somehow and then, Ken and Seiji having a story together from the past that makes you think that they may end up together… God, the resolution was amazing. I loved Pan’s speech in the last episode and the way they three hugged… I’M IN LOVE. I wish we could see more of them, like I need a series with just them to see all their story and stuff together.

I also would like to see more about Great and James, they looked so interesting from the very beginning, being the only “couple” which didn’t confess their love for the other and already being somehow together?? So beautiful. They promised so much and I want more.

Also, I loved Khem being good with his dad when he comes for the first time to the show, talking nicely to each other, laughing together, asking how they were doing and respecting their own decisions.

So, again, I can’t understand people’s reactions for this series. Even if it’s not something so so deep, it had its own depth. It talked about acceptance no matter what, about not judging before knowing the whole story, about respect people’s decisions and dreams. It is about support of the ones you care deeply for; about giving your all even when it could not go well, even if you fail. This is about LOVE, loving what you do, respecting the love of others, and loving without limits.

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Just a bit too slow

I really liked the characters! they are all more or less likeable and interesting. 6 is my usual rating for shows that were okay to watch, but are nothing special or didn't hook me emotionally + annoyed me here and there a bit, but I liked the crew so much that I added 0,5. And for people who care for looks: Eyecandy is served well. I mean, especially the main couple and Seji and Japan look so handsome, geez. Seji really stole my heart, lol. But the female couple is also absolutely gorgeous! Everytime I say Freya i was like "goddamn, what a pretty human being T_T".

The music was okay. the title song is nice, but sometimes the bgm was weird. :D

I don't really get why the throuple is so hyped, since they only got together in the last minutes of the last episode. ^^' The dynamic between those three was so weird (Ken obviously didn't like Pan much most of the time) till this point and as much as i crave relationships that are different from monogamy, i would have loved to see a proper built up here. Pan just offering this because Seji looks so sad all the time left a bad taste behind. The scenes afterwards helped a bit to clean this feeling, but I would have just loved to see how they are properly established and behave in a relationship. To see that Ken and Pan also get along well and not just Pan tolerating it, because Seji and Ken look on the edge of tears all the time. x)

I watched a bunch of scenes in double speed, because it was just sooo slow, geez.

But for the rest, it was okay to watch. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, because I don't think the story is strong or the relationships are fleshed out enough. It's a lot of the same, repetitive stuff.

Addition, that doesn't influence the rating: Oh. My. God. The subtitles on iQIYI were horrible. :'D

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Pointless

I'm surprised i made it as far as i did. There are some interesting ideas here, but nothing was done well. This was boring and unbelievable. I gave up when the ML's lesbian mother was worried that her gay son would have an issue with her being in a same-sex relationship. Make it make sense! All they had to do was write that the ML "might" (because these are technically adults, not children) have been concerned about his mother beginning a new relationship, regardless of who with, after her divorce from his father.

I've read that there's a throuple, but from what i saw, there was no indication that things were headed in that direction. I saw the bff walking around like a lost puppy because the guy he has secretly loved forever chose someone else. The two guys who were vying for the affections of what's-his-face never seemed to even like each other as friends. What they have is not a throuple, it's just one guy having an open relationship and getting to sleep two guys (one that he likes romantically and one that he feels guilty for not liking romantically). Yeah, this is healthy and will totally work out.

The Auntie did nothing but scream and "act" like she auditioned for the worse melodrama ever.

I wonder if this is really the way hosting works. Ppl pay lots of money just to sit next to you and drink and maybe hug you a little or kiss your cheek?! Really? Sign me up! If that's all there was to this line of work, there would be no stigma or scandal.

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Adult AND Smart

This is a surprisingly and shockingly smart, articulate, and very well-done BL with loads of moral precepts that I was not expecting. In other words, I loved this series through and through. It is very adult-like and tackles some sensitive issues in a vailed way that you have to peel away like an onion. The screenplay is very impressive. Sure, it has its weak moments, but they are few and far between and do not deflect from its core message. I cannot say that the characters were all happy in this series, but they made their circumstances work. In other words, they took lemons and made lemonade out of it. This is indeed a very adult series and not your typical BL Pablum fed premise. It presents its story squarely to you. Still a bit sanitized but nonetheless more realistic and honest than a lot of other BLs out there.

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